Membrane lamination of three-dimensional (3d) article

ABSTRACT

Embodiments provide a lamination machine and lamination process for laminating a membrane to a three-dimensional (3D) target surface of an article, such as a footwear article, glove, clothing article, backpack, or other article. The lamination machine may include an inflatable former that is permeable to air. The inflatable former may have a shape that generally corresponds to a shape of the target surface. The membrane and target surface may be arranged on the former, with a heat-activated adhesive disposed between the membrane and the target surface. The lamination machine may further include a pump to pump heated compressed air into the former. The heated compressed air may inflate the former to press the membrane against the target surface and to activate the adhesive to bond the membrane to the target surface.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser.No. 14/883,995, filed Oct. 15, 2015, entitled “Membrane Lamination ofThree-Dimensional (3D) Article,” which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/064,804, filed Oct. 16, 2014,entitled “Membrane Lamination of Three-Dimensional (3D) Article,” theentire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments herein relate to the field of manufacturing, and, morespecifically, to a process and machine for membrane lamination.

BACKGROUND

In many articles, such as footwear, clothing, backpacks, and/or bags, amembrane is laminated to the article to provide protection and/or otherfunctions. For example, many articles include a waterproof membranelaminated to a fabric to provide protection from liquids and/or othersubstances. However, it can be difficult to laminate the membrane to thefabric with even adhesion and/or in an efficient manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments will be readily understood by the following detaileddescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and theappended claims. Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and notby way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1A illustrates a lamination machine including a tray and a frame inaccordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 1B illustrates the lamination machine of FIG. 1A with an inflatableformer in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 1C illustrates the lamination machine of FIGS. 1A and 1B with theinflatable former coupled to the tray by a collar in accordance withvarious embodiments;

FIG. 1D illustrates the lamination machine of FIG. 1C with a membraneand a body of an article disposed on the inflatable former in accordancewith various embodiments;

FIG. 1E illustrates the lamination machine of FIG. 1D with a shell inaccordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 2A illustrates a lamination machine including an inflatable formerin an inflated state in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 2B illustrates the lamination machine of FIG. 2A with theinflatable former in an uninflated state and with a footwear upper and amembrane arranged on the inflatable former;

FIG. 2C illustrates the lamination machine of FIGS. 2A and 2B with theinflatable former inflated to press the membrane against the footwearupper;

FIG. 3 illustrates another lamination machine in accordance with variousembodiments;

FIG. 4A illustrates another lamination machine in accordance withvarious embodiments; and

FIG. 4B illustrates the lamination machine of FIG. 4A with a membrane, abody of an article, and an outer cover disposed on the inflatable formerin accordance with various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which are shownby way of illustration embodiments that may be practiced. It is to beunderstood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural orlogical changes may be made without departing from the scope. Therefore,the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limitingsense, and the scope of embodiments is defined by the appended claimsand their equivalents.

Various operations may be described as multiple discrete operations inturn, in a manner that may be helpful in understanding embodiments;however, the order of description should not be construed to imply thatthese operations are order dependent.

The description may use perspective-based descriptions such as up/down,back/front, and top/bottom. Such descriptions are merely used tofacilitate the discussion and are not intended to restrict theapplication of disclosed embodiments.

The terms “coupled” and “connected,” along with their derivatives, maybe used. It should be understood that these terms are not intended assynonyms for each other. Rather, in particular embodiments, “connected”may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physicalor electrical contact with each other. “Coupled” may mean that two ormore elements are in direct physical or electrical contact. However,“coupled” may also mean that two or more elements are not in directcontact with each other, but yet still cooperate or interact with eachother.

For the purposes of the description, a phrase in the form “A/B” or inthe form “A and/or B” means (A), (B), or (A and B). For the purposes ofthe description, a phrase in the form “at least one of A, B, and C”means (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B and C).For the purposes of the description, a phrase in the form “(A)B” means(B) or (AB) that is, A is an optional element.

The description may use the terms “embodiment” or “embodiments,” whichmay each refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments.Furthermore, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and thelike, as used with respect to embodiments, are synonymous, and aregenerally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should beinterpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” shouldbe interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should beinterpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.).

With respect to the use of any plural and/or singular terms herein,those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to thesingular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to thecontext and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations maybe expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

Embodiments herein provide a lamination machine and lamination processfor laminating a membrane to a three-dimensional (3D) body of anarticle, such as a footwear article (e.g., shoe), clothing article(e.g., glove, jacket, pants), backpack, and/or a bag. Although thelamination machine is discussed herein with reference to a shoe, it willbe apparent that the lamination machine and/or lamination process may beused to laminate a membrane to any suitable type of article. Thelamination machine and process may generally be used to laminate themembrane to the body of the article when the body has a 3D shape.

In various embodiments, the membrane may be waterproof and/or may haveone or more other suitable characteristics. The membrane may or may notalso be breathable.

In various embodiments, the lamination machine may include an inflatableformer. The membrane and the body of the article may be placed on theinflatable former such that the inflatable former resides, duringlamination, at least partially in an internal portion of the article. Anadhesive may be disposed between the membrane and the inside surface ofthe article to adhere the membrane to the article. In some embodiments,the adhesive may be heat-activated.

In various embodiments, the former may include a primary opening/inletthrough which a gas, such as air, may be pumped to inflate the former.In some embodiments, the gas may be heated.

In various embodiments, the former may have a shape that generallycorresponds to a shape of a target surface to which the membrane is tobe laminated (e.g., an inner surface of the body of the article). Insome embodiments, the former may be larger in its fully inflated statethan the shape of the target surface. Accordingly, the former may applypressure to the target surface when the former is inflated. The formermay conform to the inner surface of the article and providesubstantially even pressure across the target surface of the article,thereby facilitating uniform adhesion of the membrane to the body of thearticle.

In various embodiments, the former may be made of a flexible materialthat is permeable to air, such as a fabric. The former may be made ofsilicone or may be made from a silicone coating on an underlying fabriclayer. Other coatings may be used instead of silicone. In an embodiment,a former can be constructed from multiple pieces assembled by stitching,welding, etc. In embodiments, a former can be molded or formed in asingle 3D shape.

In addition, or alternatively, the former may be perforated to impart orenhance air permeability. Perforations may be provided across the entireformer, or they may be located only in certain specified regions, suchas the regions that are intended to contact the inner surface of thearticle. The term “perforation” refers to a hole, slit, or other openingformed in the former material. Perforations may be formed by anysuitable method, such as using a mechanical press or punch, a laser,etc. An example perforation may have a diameter of 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm. Ifthe perforation is not circular, the term “diameter” may be used torefer to the long dimension of the perforation.

The former material may have a permeability to air/gas of about 1 to 120millimeter/second (mm/sec), preferably from 5 to 80 mm/sec, according tothe ISO 9237:1995 test method for air permeability of textile fabrics(tested at 200 Pa pressure, 20 cm² area, 60 sec). The permeability ofthe former may allow some of the heated gas to pass through the former,thereby heating (e.g., via convection) the adhesive to activate theadhesive. Additional air may be pumped into the former (e.g.,continuously) to keep the former inflated maintaining the desiredpressure and providing the desired temperature. The heated gas may alsoheat the former material, which may in turn heat the adhesive viaconduction.

Air permeability of a former may be uniform across the entire former, orpermeability may vary depending on the location/region of the formerbased on the presence/absence of perforations, the size and number ofperforations, etc.

In some embodiments, the hot air may have a temperature of, for example,about 60 degrees Celsius to about 200 degrees Celsius. The heat appliedto the adhesive may activate the adhesive (e.g., turn the adhesive intoa liquid state).

In some embodiments, the heated air may be pumped into the former underpressure, such as a pressure of 30 pounds per square inch or more. Inembodiments, the pressure inside the former may be maintained at apressure of 60-100 KPa, such as 80 KPa (0.81 bar).

In embodiments, the heated air may be pumped into the former (e.g., by apump) for a heating time period. The heating time period may be, forexample, about 15 seconds to about 2 minutes. During the heating timeperiod, the air may be pumped into the former under a constant pressure.Alternatively, the air may be pumped into the former at a first pressurefor a first time period followed by an increased pressure for a secondtime period.

After the heating time period, the pump may lower the temperature of theair pumped into the former. The pump may pump cold air for a coolingtime period. The cold air may have a temperature that is colder than thetemperature of the hot air that is pumped into the former during theheating time period. For example, the cold air may have a temperature ofabout 10 degrees Celsius to about 50 degrees Celsius. In someembodiments, the cooling time period may be about 10 seconds to about 1minute. The cold air pumped into the former during the cooling timeperiod may cool the adhesive to cure the adhesive. The adhesive mayconvert from a liquid to a solid and may adhere the membrane to thetarget surface.

After the cooling time period, the pump may stop pumping gas into theformer. The former may deflate to facilitate removal of the article fromthe former. In some embodiments, a vacuum may remove air from the formerafter the cooling time.

In some embodiments, the lamination machine may further include a tray(e.g., a plug) disposed in the opening of the former. The tray mayinclude an inlet through which air may be pumped into the former by thepump. A tube may couple the pump to the inlet to pass air from the pumpinto the former.

In some embodiments, the lamination machine may further include a rigidframe coupled to the tray. The rigid frame may provide structuralsupport for the former, the membrane, and/or the article to allow themembrane and article to be arranged on the former when the former is notinflated.

In some embodiments, a collar may be coupled around the tray, with theformer disposed between the collar and the tray, to secure the former tothe tray.

In some embodiments, the lamination machine may further include an outercover that may be placed external and adjacent to the article after thearticle is placed on the former. The outer cover may be a rigid shell ora pliable material, such as a fabric.

An outer cover constructed from a rigid shell may have an inner surfacewith a shape that generally corresponds to the shape of the outersurface of the article. The rigid shell may prevent the article fromexpanding significantly from the gas that is pumped into the former. Theshell may cover at least a portion (e.g., a portion or all) of the outersurface of the article. In some embodiments, the shell may include oneor more openings to allow passage of the pumped gas through the shell.In some embodiments, the shell may include two plates that are coupledto one another (e.g., in a clamshell arrangement) to be selectivelyclosed around the article while the article is disposed on the former.

An outer cover constructed from a pliable material may be a generallynon-stretchable fabric or similar material such that it surrounds all ora portion of the article, but has minimal flex. In some embodiments, theouter cover is configured to permit some air to escape from one or moremain openings at the bottom or top of the cover, and/or through thematerial itself. Suitable pliable materials include rigid fiberstructures, nylon, KEVLAR, carbon fiber, etc.

When the former is inflated, the placement of an outer cover around thearticle provides counter pressure against the outward movement of thearticle in response to the inflation of the former. The outer cover alsocontains expansion of the former and thus prevents undesired articledeformation during lamination. The outer cover may be secured around thearticle using a collar (strap, cord, snaps, etc.).

In some embodiments, the adhesive may be pre-applied to and/orintegrated with the membrane. In other embodiments, the adhesive may beapplied to the membrane and/or the inside surface of the article duringthe lamination process. The adhesive may form a continuous layer on themembrane and/or may be arranged in a pattern, such as a dot-matrix, inrows, and/or in another orientation/configuration. The use of apatterned adhesive avoids complete occlusion of the membrane and thusassists in maintaining the breathability of the membrane.

In some embodiments, one or more additional layers and/or materials maybe included in the membrane. For example, the membrane may include awaterproof layer, a heat-activated adhesive, and a protective layer. Insome embodiments, the adhesive may be disposed on a first side of thewaterproof layer, and the protective layer may be disposed on a secondside of the waterproof layer. The protective layer may protect thewaterproof layer from abrasion. The protective layer may include anysuitable material, such as monofilament nylon knit (e.g., 2-denier halftricot). Monofilament nylon knit has high resistance to abrasion and lowwicking of moisture (e.g., to avoid water being wicked into other layersof the article).

In some embodiments, prior to mating the membrane with the article, themembrane may be formed in a three dimensional conformation correspondingto the shape of the target surface (e.g., the inside surface) of thearticle. For example, the membrane may be formed by one or more panelscoupled together (e.g., by stitching, adhesive, and/or tape sealing). Insome embodiments, the panels may overlap at the edges with the adjoiningpanel. The panels may overlap with the adhesive layer of one panelagainst the adhesive layer of the adjoining panel, or with the adhesivelayer of one panel against the protective layer of the adjoining panel.

The membrane may then be placed against the target surface of thearticle. In some embodiments, the membrane may be placed on the former(e.g., supported by the frame of the lamination machine), and then thearticle may be placed over the membrane and arranged in the desiredorientation. In other embodiments, the membrane may be arranged in thedesired orientation against the target surface of the body of thearticle prior to placing the membrane and the body of the article on theformer.

FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D illustrate a lamination machine 100 atdifferent points of a lamination process. As best seen in FIG. 1A, thelamination machine 100 includes a tray 102 with an inlet 104. The inlet104 may be coupled to a pump (e.g., by a tube) to receive compressed gas(e.g., air). The tray may be made of any suitable material, such asaluminum and/or steel.

The lamination machine 100 further includes a frame 106 coupled to thetray 102. The frame 106 may be rigid, and may be made of any suitablematerial, such as steel and/or rigid wire. The frame 106 may providesupport to a former, membrane, and/or body of an article, as discussedfurther below.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the lamination machine 100 may include aninflatable former 108 with an opening 110. The former 108 may be made ofa material that is permeable to air. In some embodiments, the former 108may further include one or more perforations (not shown) to let air passthrough.

As shown in FIG. 1C, the former 108 is coupled to the tray 102 with thetray 102 disposed in the opening 110. The former 108 is secured to thetray 102 by a collar 112.

A collar 112 may be a rigid or semi-rigid strap, cord, etc. that wrapsaround the former 108 (or another element) to secure the former 108 orother element to the tray 102 or other underlying feature of thelamination machine 100. The former 108 may be coupled to the tray 102using other suitable structures such as snaps, hooks, etc.

As shown in FIG. 1D, a membrane 114 and a body 116 of an article may beplaced over the former 108. The membrane 114 may be, for example, awaterproof breathable membrane. The membrane 114 may be disposed againsta target surface of the body 116. The body 116 shown in FIG. 1D is anupper of a shoe, and the target surface is the inner surface of theupper.

An adhesive 118 is disposed on the membrane 114 (e.g., between themembrane 114 and the body 116. The adhesive may be a heat-activatedadhesive.

In various embodiments, the membrane 114 may have a 3D shape thatcorresponds to a shape of the target surface of body 116. The former 108may also have a shape (e.g., when inflated) that corresponds to theshape of the target surface of body 116. In embodiments, the shape ofthe former 108 may be larger than the shape of the target surface,before and/or after inflation, to apply pressure to the membrane 114against the target surface when the former is inflated.

With the body 116 and membrane 114 disposed on the former 108 as shownin FIG. 1D, heated gas (e.g., air) may be pumped into the former via theinlet 104 (e.g., by a pump, not shown). The heated gas may inflate theformer 108 to apply pressure to press the membrane 114 against the body116. Additionally, the heated gas may heat the adhesive 118 to activatethe adhesive 118.

As discussed above, after the heated gas is pumped into the former 108for a heating time period, cold gas may be pumped into the former 108for a cooling time period. The cold gas may cool the adhesive to causethe adhesive to solidify and cure, thereby bonding the membrane 114 tothe target surface of the body 116. After the cooling time period, thepump may stop pumping air into the former 108, allowing the former 108to deflate. In some embodiments, a vacuum may remove gas from the former108. The body 116 (with membrane 114 adhered to the body 116) may thenbe removed from the lamination machine 100.

In some embodiments, the lamination machine 100 may further include anouter cover 120, such as the rigid shell shown in FIG. 1E. The outercover 120 is disposed adjacent the body 116. The outer cover 120 has aninner surface with a shape that generally corresponds to the shape ofthe outer surface of the body 116. The outer cover 120 may prevent thearticle from expanding significantly from the gas that is pumped intothe former. The outer cover 120 may cover at least a portion of theouter surface of the body 116. For example, the shell 120 shown in FIG.1E covers a front portion of the body 116. In some embodiments, anotherpiece (not shown) of the outer cover 120 may cover a rear portion of thebody 116. In some embodiments, the shell may include one or moreopenings (not shown) to allow passage of the pumped gas through theshell.

FIG. 2A illustrates a lamination machine 200 including an inflatableformer 202 coupled to a support tray 204 by a collar 206. The inflatableformer 202 is shown in an inflated state. The inflatable former 202 hasa shape that generally corresponds to an inner surface of a footweararticle (e.g., a boot).

FIG. 2B illustrates the lamination machine 200 of FIG. 2A with afootwear upper 208 and a membrane 210 arranged on the inflatable former202. The inflatable former 202 is shown in an uninflated state. Themembrane 210 is arranged between the footwear upper 208 and theinflatable former 202, aligned with a target surface (e.g., the innersurface) of the footwear upper 208. FIG. 2B further shows a pump 212 toprovide the compressed gas to be pumped into the former 202.

FIG. 2C illustrates the lamination machine 200 of FIGS. 2A-2B, with theinflatable former 202 inflated to press the membrane 210 against thefootwear upper 208. As discussed above, the inflatable former 202 may beinflated by heated compressed gas to activate a heat-activated adhesivedisposed between the membrane 210 and the footwear upper 208. Theinflatable former 202 may be permeable to the compressed gas to allowsome of the compressed gas to pass through the inflatable former 202 toactivate the adhesive.

FIG. 3 illustrates another lamination machine 300 in accordance withvarious embodiments. Lamination machine 300 includes an inflatableformer 302 with a substantially cylindrical shape. The inflatable former302 may be permeable to gas (e.g., air). The inflatable former 302further includes a plurality of perforations 304 to allow the passage ofgas. As shown, perforations 304 are located in a specified region ofinflatable former 302. A support tray (not shown) is disposed in anopening in the inflatable former 302, and the inflatable former 302 issecured to the support tray by a collar 306.

A pump 308 is coupled to the support tray via a tube 310 to pumpcompressed air into the inflatable former 302. A control box 312 iscoupled to the pump 308 to control the pump 308. For example, thecontrol box 312 may control the amount, duration, and temperature of thecompressed air that is pumped into the inflatable former 302.

In some embodiments, the control box 312 may be programmed to perform apre-determined lamination process. For example, the control box 312 maypump heated gas into the inflatable former 302 for a heating timeperiod, and then pump cold gas into the inflatable former 302 for acooling time period. The control box 312 may additionally oralternatively include controls to manually adjust/control the parametersof the pumping performed by the pump 308.

FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate a lamination machine 400 including a tray 402with an inlet 404 in accordance with various embodiments. Inlet 404 maybe coupled to a pump (e.g., by a tube) to receive compressed gas (e.g.,air). The tray 402 may be made of any suitable material, such asaluminum and/or steel.

The lamination machine 400 further includes a frame 406 coupled to thetray 402. The frame 406 may be rigid, and may be made of any suitablematerial, such as steel and/or rigid wire. The frame 406 may providesupport to a former, membrane, and/or body of an article, as discussedfurther below.

The lamination machine 400 may include an inflatable former 408 with anopening 410. The former 408 may be made of a material that is permeableto air. In some embodiments, the former 408 may further include one ormore perforations (not shown) to let air to pass through.

The former 408 is coupled to the tray 402 with the tray 402 disposed inthe opening 410. The former 408 is secured to the tray 402 by a collar412.

A membrane 414 and a body 416 of an article may be placed over theformer 408. The membrane 414 may be, for example, a waterproofbreathable membrane. The membrane 414 may be disposed against a targetsurface of the body 416.

With the body 416 and membrane 414 disposed on the former 408, heatedgas (e.g., air) may be pumped into the former via the inlet 404. Theheated gas may inflate the former 408 to apply pressure to press themembrane 414 against the body 416. Additionally, the heated gas may heatan adhesive on the membrane to activate the adhesive.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the lamination machine 400 further includes anouter cover 420, made of a pliable material, shown in FIG. 4B as afabric bag. The outer cover 420 is disposed adjacent the body 416. Theouter cover 420 has an inner surface with a shape that generallycorresponds to the shape of the outer surface of the body 416. The outercover 420 may prevent the article from expanding significantly from thegas that is pumped into the former.

Example(s)

In an example, a shoe upper was laminated with a semipermeable membrane(provided with hot-melt adhesive dots) as described herein. The airtemperature injected in the inflatable former (and partially free toflow through holes in its surface) was 130 degrees Celsius and the airsupply was able to maintain a pressure of about 80 KPa (0.81 bar) insidethe inflatable former.

After cooling, the strength of adhesion between the membrane and theadjacent layer (upper material of the shoe) was measured according toISO 2411:2000, in different areas of the upper, identified by an anglemeasured from the tray base to the examined point on the upper (10, 45,and 90 degrees to the upper top). The delamination strength value wasconstant with (rounded) values of 15 N/50 mm, meaning that the statedforce was insufficient to delaminate the sample. The results illustratethat the present described method obtains uniform adhesion strengthbetween membrane and upper material across the entire surface of themembrane. The results also indicate that, in embodiments, articlesconstructed in accordance with the present teachings have a delaminationstrength value of at least 15 N/50 mm.

With other processes and/or other kinds of presses (e.g. pressing fromthe outside of the article with deformable plates), where it is notpossible to achieve uniformity of pressure, the strength of adhesion isinconsistent and may vary from high values (in regions where thepressure is high) to low (in regions where the pressure is low or evenzero).

Although certain embodiments have been illustrated and described herein,it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a widevariety of alternate and/or equivalent embodiments or implementationscalculated to achieve the same purposes may be substituted for theembodiments shown and described without departing from the scope. Thosewith skill in the art will readily appreciate that embodiments may beimplemented in a very wide variety of ways. This application is intendedto cover any adaptations or variations of the embodiments discussedherein. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that embodiments be limitedonly by the claims and the equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A lamination machine comprising: an inflatableformer having an opening, the inflatable former to be inflated by gaspumped through the opening to adhere a membrane to a three-dimensionaltarget surface of an article, wherein the inflatable former is permeableto the gas.
 2. The lamination machine of claim 1, further comprising atray including an inlet to receive gas wherein the tray is coupled withthe former.
 3. The lamination machine of claim 2, further comprising arigid frame coupled to the tray to support the membrane and the articlewhen the inflatable former is in an uninflated state.
 4. The laminationmachine of claim 2, further comprising a collar to secure the inflatableformer to the tray.
 5. The lamination machine of claim 1, furthercomprising an outer cover to be placed external to and adjacent to thearticle after the article is placed on the inflatable former.
 6. Thelamination machine of claim 1, further comprising a pump to pump the gasinto the inflatable former for a first time period.
 7. The laminationmachine of claim 1, further comprising a pump to pump heated gas intothe inflatable former for a heating time period.
 8. The laminationmachine of claim 7, wherein the pump is further to pump cold gas intothe inflatable former for a cooling time period after the heating timeperiod.
 9. The lamination machine of claim 8, wherein the pump isfurther to vacuum the gas out of the inflatable former after the coolingtime period.
 10. The lamination machine of claim 1, further comprising acollar to secure the inflatable former to the tray.
 11. The laminationmachine of claim 1, wherein the inflatable former includes a pluralityof perforations providing permeability to the gas.
 12. The laminationmachine of claim 11, wherein the plurality of perforations are locatedin specific regions of the inflatable former, but not located in otherregions of the inflatable former.
 13. The lamination machine of claim 1,wherein the plurality of perforations each have a diameter of 0.1 mm to1.0 mm.
 14. The lamination machine of claim 1, wherein the former has apermeability to the gas of 5 to 80 mm/sec.
 15. The lamination machine ofclaim 1, wherein the former comprises a fabric or silicone.
 16. Thelamination machine of claim 1, wherein the former is configured tomaintain pressure inside the former at a pressure of 60-100 KPa when thegas is pumped into the former.